Egor Demin came into Summer League with a point to make, and he wasted no time making it.
In Brooklyn’s 79-76 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic opener on Saturday, the second-year guard turned in the kind of performance that can change the way people talk about a young player. Demin scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, giving the Nets a steady offensive engine for long stretches of the game.
What stood out most wasn’t just the production. It was the way Demin carried himself. After the game, he said the focus is bigger than numbers.
“I don’t want to say pressure of being a leader, but kind of embracing the role of a guy who’s been a year in the NBA already,” he said after the game. “I want to take that role on myself coming here and lead the team mentally on the bench and on the court as well.”
That showed up on the floor. With Mikel Brown Jr. and Danny Wolf both out, Brooklyn leaned hard on Demin, and he kept answering. He created shots, pushed downhill, and delivered baskets whenever Sacramento started to chip away at the Nets’ control.
The former BYU standout also looked much more comfortable as one of Brooklyn’s main initiators than he did last season, when injuries limited him to 52 games in his rookie year.
His shooting touch was part of the story, too. Demin hit 38.5% of his three-point attempts during the regular season, and on Saturday he looked confident stepping into perimeter looks while also showing better patience when he attacked the rim.
Brooklyn opened up an 18-point lead behind his aggression and even had Darius Acuff Jr. frustrated defensively early. Sacramento eventually fought back behind Acuff and Nique Clifford, but Demin kept swinging the game back with timely buckets, including a big fourth-quarter burst that briefly put the Nets back in command.
The finish got away from Brooklyn, and turnovers were a major reason why. The Nets gave it away 20 times, while Sacramento had just nine.
Even with the loss, Demin was the clearest bright spot of the day. For a player who surprised some around the league when Brooklyn took him eighth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Saturday felt like another step toward proving the organization’s faith was well placed.
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